House prepares for passage of $1.7T spending bill

House prepares for passage of $1.7T spending bill – politico: The House is on track for Friday approval of a colossal $1.7 trillion government funding package, as party leaders dash to avoid a shutdown and an intensifying winter storm — hours before Christmas.

Deal reached on amendments, omnibus motors towards passage

Deal reached on amendments, omnibus motors towards passage – rollcall: The Senate is set to vote on final passage of the sprawling $1.7 trillion fiscal 2023 omnibus on Thursday after senators resolved a dispute over Trump-era border restrictions during the public health emergency. 

Zelenskyy to meet Biden, address Congress as war rages on

Zelenskyy to meet Biden, address Congress as war rages on (AP): Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was making his way to Washington on Wednesday for a summit with President Joe Biden and an address Congress in a bid to shore up support for his country and send a defiant message to its Russian invaders. 

Shelby's swan song: A spending spat within his party

 

Shelby's swan song: A spending spat within his party (politico) - The veteran appropriator, days from retirement, is becoming the GOP face of a $1.7 trillion deal he helped ink. And he's fine with the blowback from conservatives.

White House to restart free Covid home test program

White House to restart free Covid home test program-politico: The Biden administration plans to reopen a partnership with the U.S. Postal Service to mail free at-home Covid-19 tests to households that request them, four people familiar with the matter told POLITICO. 

Top appropriators clinch deal on government funding framework

Top appropriators clinch deal on government funding framework-politico: Leading negotiators didn’t release government funding totals in announcing the deal, but appropriators have largely settled on an $858 billion defense budget in recent weeks.

Lauren Boebert officially wins race against Adam Frisch, recount confirms

Lauren Boebert officially wins race against Adam Frisch,recount confirms-denverpost: Now weeks after the November midterm elections and Colorado’s Secretary of State announced that U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert did indeed win her race against Adam Frisch, if only by a few hundred votes. 

Signs of life for omnibus deal as negotiators make headway

 

Signs of life for omnibus deal as negotiators make headway-rollcall: House and Senate appropriators made enough progress in bipartisan discussions over the weekend that Democrats are putting on hold plans to introduce their own versions of a fiscal 2023 omnibus and yearlong stopgap funding bill.

Sinema switches to independent, shaking up the Senate

 

Sinema switches to independent, shaking up the Senate-politico: Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema is changing her party affiliation to independent, delivering a jolt to Democrats’ narrow majority and Washington along with it.

Democrats, Republicans race to strike year-end tax and spending deal

Democrats, Republicans race to strike year-end tax andspending deal-WaPo: Democrats want to expand a tax credit that aids low-income families. Republicans hope to preserve a set of tax breaks that benefits businesses. And both parties hope to prevent a federal government shutdown.

Democratic Sen. Warnock wins Georgia runoff against Walker

Democratic Sen. Warnock wins Georgia runoff against Walker-ap: Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock defeated Republican challenger Herschel Walker in a Georgia runoff election Tuesday, ensuring Democrats an outright majority in the Senate for the rest of President Joe Biden’s current term and capping an underwhelming midterm cycle for the GOP in the last major vote of the year.

CAROL Act passes Congress, heads to the President Biden's desk

CAROL Act passes Congress, heads to the President Biden's desk - WASHINGTON (LEX 18): The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Cardiovascular Advances in Research and Opportunities Legacy (CAROL) Act today. The act passed unanimously in the Senate on December 1. It will now head to President Biden's desk to be signed into law.

On the Georgia Trail: Warnock, Walker rally voters with runoff eve events

 

On the Georgia Trail: Warnock, Walker rally voters withrunoff eve events-ajc: U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker are taking new steps to energize their supporters on the eve of the runoff for the last election battle of 2022.

US hiring stays strong, complicating Fed’s inflation fight

 

US hiring stays strong, complicating Fed’s inflation fight-ap: The nation’s employers kept hiring briskly in November despite high inflation and a slow-growing economy — a sign of resilience in the face of the Federal Reserve’s aggressive interest rate hikes.

House approves tentative labor deal to avoid rail strike, sends to Senate

 House approves tentative labor deal to avoid rail strike, sends to Senate

The House passed legislation Wednesday that would force a tentative rail labor agreement and thwart a national strike. The bill now goes to the Senate, where Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has promised swift passage.